[[email protected]]

I have a whim to try this, but before I do I thought I'd post here in case there are any obvious dangers -- I don't want to fry the speakers, for example.

The power amp is a Quad 520f, and the speakers are ESL 63s. Source is streamed and controlled with a tablet app which has its own volume control.

[Peter Wieck[_2_]]

On Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 7:28:11 AM UTC-4, wrote:
I have a whim to try this, but before I do I thought I'd post here in case there are any obvious dangers -- I don't want to fry the speakers, for example.

The power amp is a Quad 520f, and the speakers are ESL 63s. Source is streamed and controlled with a tablet app which has its own volume control.

Depends on the output level of the tablet - and the sensitivity of the amp. Most amps (not all, just most) are rated at 2V - that is, they will put out their full wattage at a 2-volt input. There are other factors, of course.

So, if the tablet output voltage is the functional equivalent of a pre-amp output, you will be fine. If it is designed to drive headphones, you may get some serious distortion at higher volumes. And some ESL speakers, if overdriven will arc. So, start low, see how it sounds. There is no intrinsic reason why the source should not be connected to the amp in any case as long as there is a volume control involved.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[[email protected]]

And if I understand correctly, this should be more truthful than any preamp, and certainly more truthful than any passive preamp. Is that right?

I have some free time on Thursday if all goes to plan, so I'll try it then unless someone warns me off.

[Peter Wieck[_2_]]

On Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 11:46:45 AM UTC-4, wrote=
:
And if I understand correctly, this should be more truthful than any prea=
mp, and certainly more truthful than any passive preamp. Is that right?
=20
I have some free time on Thursday if all goes to plan, so I'll try it the=
n unless someone warns me off.


"Truthful" - I am not sure that is the precise term I would use. At the sam=
e time, you would be getting the pure signal from the tablet. What remains =
to be determined is the quality of that signal relative to any other source=
.. Not every streaming source is worthwhile. Happily, you have speakers that=
will have little mercy, and will expose problems quickly.=20

Best of luck!

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, 8 May 2018 16:57:17 UTC+1, Peter Wieck wrote:
On Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 11:46:45 AM UTC-4, wro=
te:
And if I understand correctly, this should be more truthful than any pr=
eamp, and certainly more truthful than any passive preamp. Is that right?
=20
I have some free time on Thursday if all goes to plan, so I'll try it t=
hen unless someone warns me off.
=20
=20
"Truthful" - I am not sure that is the precise term I would use. At the s=
ame time, you would be getting the pure signal from the tablet. What remain=
s to be determined is the quality of that signal relative to any other sour=
ce. Not every streaming source is worthwhile. Happily, you have speakers th=
at will have little mercy, and will expose problems quickly.=20
=20
Best of luck!
=20
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

The tablet is just used to manage a music server. The system consists of fi=
les stored on a hard drive and accessed by the logitech media server, strea=
med by a squeezebox into a Museatex DAC and then out into (at the moment) a=
Quad 44.